I’m celebrating the cooler weather with cheesecake. I love fall and all things about the season so what better way to welcome it than with a delicious cheesecake. The leaves changing colors is one of my favorite things, along with all the great fall foods. This cheesecake is easy to make – besides letting it sit in the fridge overnight. Knowing it was there drives me nuts!

Preheat the oven to 375F. Put the graham crackers in a large plastic bag and use a rolling pin to break them down. Combine with the butter and cinnamon and line a 9″ springform pan. (Now that I have one I swear by it for making cheesecakes – makes things so much easier) Press it up the sides of the pan a bit place it in the oven for 8-10 minutes, when the edges of the crust are starting to brown. While it’s cooling, prepare the batter.

Preheat the oven to 325F.Place the softened cream cheese in a large bowl and mix until smooth. Next add in the condensed milk and cider. Add the eggs and slowly mix them in. The filling will look a bit thin – but this is ok. Place the springform pan with the crust in it on a baking sheet and carefully pour the filling into the crust. Bake for 45 minutes until the middle of the cheesecake is nearly set. Place on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. If you aren’t using a springform – run a knife around the edge of the pan to help loosen it. Place into the fridge overnight and hopefully you won’t be thinking of cheesecake all night like I was.

For the topping, take 1 small sauce pan over medium high heat and cook the apple cider,cornstarch, and cinnamon together. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and stir occasionally, letting it thicken.Set aside and let it cool while preparing the apples. In a small skillet cook the apples in the butter for about 5 minutes. The apples will still be a bit crisp. Let them cool just a bit, then cover the top of the cheesecake. Carefully cover the apples with the cider sauce. You should let it sit in the fridge with the topping for a half hour – but we didn’t wait. I was ready for cheesecake right then and there, and it was delicious.

Notes: Apple cider and cornstarch should be gluten free. I got the cider locally and they assured me they have no gluten cross contamination. Cornstarch can also be produced in facilities with gluten – so you might want to check into the brands.